I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1627 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements 

for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 15, 2011 

Mr. MILLER of Florida (for himself, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. LAMBORN, 

and Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain 

requirements for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLACEMENT OF 

4 MONUMENTS IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEM5 ETERY. 

6 Section 2409(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 

7 amended— 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1627 IH

1 (1) by striking ‘‘Under’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) 

2 Under’’; 

3 (2) by inserting after ‘‘Secretary of the Army’’ 

4 the following: ‘‘and subject to paragraph (2)’’; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

6 paragraphs: 

7 ‘‘(2)(A) Except for a monument containing or mark8 ing interred remains, no monument (or similar structure 

9 as determined by the Secretary of the Army in regula10 tions) may be placed in Arlington National Cemetery ex11 cept pursuant to the provisions of this subsection. 

12 ‘‘(B) A monument may be placed in Arlington Na13 tional Cemetery if the monument commemorates— 

14 ‘‘(i) the service in the Armed Forces of the indi15 vidual, or group of individuals, whose memory is to 

16 be honored by the monument; or 

17 ‘‘(ii) a particular military event. 

18 ‘‘(C) No monument may be placed in Arlington Na19 tional Cemetery until the end of the 25-year period begin20 ning— 

21 ‘‘(i) in the case of the commemoration of serv22 ice under subparagraph (B)(i), on the last day of the 

23 period of service so commemorated; and 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1627 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) in the case of the commemoration of a 

2 particular military event under subparagraph (B)(ii), 

3 on the last day of the period of the event. 

4 ‘‘(D) A monument may be placed only in those sec5 tions of Arlington National Cemetery designated by the 

6 Secretary of the Army for such placement and only on 

7 land the Secretary determines is not suitable for burial. 

8 ‘‘(E) A monument may only be placed in Arlington 

9 National Cemetery if an appropriate non-governmental en10 tity has agreed to act as a sponsoring organization to co11 ordinate the placement of the monument and— 

12 ‘‘(i) the construction and placement of the 

13 monument are paid for only using funds from pri14 vate sources; 

15 ‘‘(ii) the Secretary of the Army consults with 

16 the Commission of Fine Arts before approving the 

17 design of the monument; and 

18 ‘‘(iii) the sponsoring organization provides for 

19 an independent study on the availability and suit20 ability of alternative locations for the proposed 

21 monument outside of Arlington National Cemetery. 

22 ‘‘(3) The Secretary of the Army may waive the re23 quirement under paragraph (2)(C) in a case in which the 

24 monument would commemorate a group of individuals who 

25 the Secretary determines— 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1627 IH

1 ‘‘(A) has made valuable contributions to the 

2 Armed Forces that have been ongoing and perpetual 

3 for longer than 25 years and are expected to con4 tinue on indefinitely; and 

5 ‘‘(B) has provided service that is of such a 

6 character that the failure to place a monument to 

7 the group in Arlington National Cemetery would 

8 present a manifest injustice.’’. 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS